


Demanding Chances

by disconcerting_feelings



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, And he accidentally becomes friends with a bunch of hunters, Basically Obito is a lonely siren, Hunter Hatake Kakashi, Hunter Namikaze Minato, Hunter Nohara Rin, M/M, Mermaid Uchiha Obito, Monster Hunters, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Siren Uchiha Obito, Summary Might Change, Title too, Uchiha Obito-centric, not sure where this is going, whoops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-08-18 22:43:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20199385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disconcerting_feelings/pseuds/disconcerting_feelings
Summary: Obito is alienated from his siren relatives, and after seeing Rin, Kakashi, and Minato together, he realizes he wants that kind of family instead. It's only after he squeezes himself into their group as a lonely young boy looking for attention that he realizes there's a reason these friendly humans risk themselves by living around a magical hot spot so close to his home, a siren's home.They're hunters.For once the Uchiha seem to be more welcoming.





	1. Silent Sirens

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the start. I've never written any kind of supernatural/fantasy stuff before, so this is very new to me. I'm also not gonna give you a bs schedule that I know I won't follow. Instead, understand that the anxiety of this story not being updated will probably be what motivates me to spit out a chapter.
> 
> Some points concerning the AU:  
\- Mermaids will be a general classification of aquatic magic beings, usually the fishlike ones. A siren is a mermaid, but not all mermaids are sirens, yeah?  
\- I don't want my hunter team Minato to be like "all magic, die!", but I think it will be understandable for them to be biased towards beings who usually hypnotize, trick, murder, and overall do awful things with a wave of their fingers
> 
> Anyway, hope anyone reading this likes the future chapters, because right now this is just an intro.

Her name is Rin.

Obito peered just above the water as a small brown haired girl sat near the shore. She's smiling faintly, unaware of her observer, taking in the sight of the vast sea before her. Her short, average hair and unassuming form may be mundane to some, but to Obito it's something he's never quite seen. Silently slinking deeper into the water, hidden by a series of large rocks, he simply looks.

Obito's tail, despite being that of a child's, is quite... obtrusive. He knows the closer he wades, the more difficult it is to hide from the human's gaze. He frowns, remembering the taunts of the other sirens. He knows that he can take a human form, he's _seen_ his own cousins do it, and yet shifting continues to confuse him. It just doesn't make sense.

Then again, this wouldn't be an appropriate use of a human form according to his clan. After all, humans are stepping stones to strength. Seduction and song are designed for a predator and her prey. He shouldn't long for human affection, he should take his power and take others' souls. Despite this, he wants to be with her, not manipulate her. He wants to see the novels she reads. He wants to talk to her as a friend.

He thinks it's possible. He's heard stories of merfolk and humans living together. He's heard of tales of romance and love that don't involve trickery or death, though these are far and few.

_They're nonexistent with the sirens_, he thinks bitterly. How are sirens different from other merfolk and water nymphs? Why does a siren have to kill for power? Why does _he_ have to kill?

He glances back at Rin whose eyes are roaming over one of the novels in her hands. Obito's spent enough time in her presence to understand that these novels are fun for her. He thinks. Maybe.

Okay, so he's not too sure about humans and their cultures. He's pretty sure the confusion is mutual anyways. All he knows is those things are called novels and she likes staring at them. He's seen weirder.

Flicking his tail, he dares to pull himself a little closer. Just a bit. It won't hurt.

At the exact moment he makes to move, a loud voice startles him into sinking deep into the water.

"Rin! There you are! Kakashi and I were worried." Obito forces himself to calm, recognizing the voice as the one that originally revealed Rin's name. Still, it's good to be extra cautious. His own kind are emotionless jerks, but they are right about one thing. Humans, no matter how nice they are to other humans, can be cruel. The last thing he wants is to die far away from his clan.

The blond man (Obito still doesn't know his name) slows down next to Rin and puts a hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing out here Rin? I thought your parents planned on picking you up soon." The silver haired boy, Kakashi, goes to stand next to the man.

Rin puts the novel away and looks up at the man with a soft smile, "I've always liked the view from here. I just wanted to see it before I left again. It seems special." Kakashi shifts (he's too far away, but Obito swears he rolls his eyes, the bastard) away from the other two and stares over the sea and where Obito himself hides.

Obito cringes when Kakashi's almost lingers over his haven of rocks and elusiveness. That stare is almost identical to the sirens' looks. He would almost doubt Kakashi's human status if not for the Uchiha's ability to see through illusions.

This just means Kakashi is just like all the other assholes in his pod. So nothing new.

The sun's setting and despite Kakashi's stoic demeanor, Rin's slight self-consciousness, and the blond's (seriously, what's his name) awkwardness, the trio is endearing to watch. They seem happy in a way that is quiet and subtle, but happy nonetheless. Obito wants that.

And as they all pack their things (well, Rin's things, but they all act as if they're somewhat responsible for her, it's... nice), Obito considers his lessons.

Shifting appearance always comes back to necessity. _Want_ won't change him, but _need_ can push his body. And Obito needs this. He needs family in a way his relatives don't understand.

His face sets in determination. Once the trio's gone, Obito pulls himself out of the water and decides he will see Rin's novels and he will talk to her. Not as a mythical siren. Not as an alluring voice.

As Obito.


	2. Bunyips and Bewildered Boys

Kakashi arrives twenty minutes early.

This is normal. As it is, this type of training is difficult to come by and no matter how much Minato sensei insists punctuality doesn't matter for these smaller sessions, Kakashi won't ignore rules set out by his teacher. Rin, on the other hand, shows around the same time sensei does: five minutes early.

Namikaze Minato is one of the best teachers out there. In fact, he's been teaching Kakashi long before Rin. Kakashi is a prodigy and knowledge comes quick to him, it would be a waste not to learn early. Minato's friends always seemed to admire his abilities and praised his intelligence in their field.

Minato pulls him out of his musings, beckoning his two students to the small clearing near the cabin. This land is clear of people and it usually takes an hour to come out to the training grounds. Despite being aware of this, this isolated area feels crowded and full. It's like he's never quite alone out here.

Sitting in front of Minato sensei and next to Rin, Kakashi readies himself. He's never quite sure what he'll learn, but he knows these lessons could one day save his life.

Sensei beams at the both of them. "Today we're going to back away from the different types of beings and dangers, and instead focus on what  _ you _ are capable of doing." He leans forward, "While hunters tend to follow a set of guidelines in fighting, they usually specialize in a certain ability."

At this, Minato pulls up out a piece of paper. Very carefully, he seems to write out a formula only known to him. He eventually pauses and turns the paper towards them. It's covered in runes and Latin phrases that seem to have been drawn in specific order. Kakashi can't quite read all of it but he catches some Latin words similar to 'being' and 'blood'.

"This is what allows me to summon other beings. With the correct chants and rituals, many different creatures can be summoned alongside us." Rin was visibly excited while Kakashi tried to keep his stoic stare. It was definitely intriguing. While Kakashi had heard of summoning magic creatures in books and folktales, it was something different to know his own teacher could achieve it. As he began to wonder over the implications of applying such a technique, Rin spoke up.

"What kind of.. beings can you summon?"

Minato sensei took the paper and set it down out of view. "Well, theoretically anything, but in truth most summoners like myself can call upon weaker creatures and anything with a signed contract or agreement. Anything else is potentially dangerous if there's resistance and if you don't have a contract with it, it usually will resist." Minato waves a hand at them, "Understand that you won't be learning this today." Rin slumps and Kakashi can't help but feel a bit betrayed, "However, I want to show you that having a specialty, like summoning, can improve your chances against dangerous magic."

"Rin," Minato addresses, "You may not realize it, but your abilities to feel magic could aid you in learning spells yourself." Rin perks up. "Sitting here, you can feel the forest's magic, yes, but there's more than just magic, right?"

Rin hesitates and takes a moment to look around. Kakashi can feel the swell of magic and the eyes of unnoticeable viewers, but he doesn't seem to sense them in the same way Rin does. She looks over at a collection of flowers before glancing up at an old tree before finally setting her eyes on Minato. "It's like there are... different flows of energy depending on where it is. I.. I don't know how to describe it..."

"Exactly," Minato assures, "You have the innate ability to understand and feel magic. Some hunters can utilize this into their own learned magic, like spells. I think you could, too." Rin smiles before nodding. Minato turns his sight to Kakashi.

"Kakashi, you are amazing at memorizing and analyzing what you know. You can easily apply this to new hunting traps and other formulaic skills, like summoning contracts." Kakashi looks at the innocuous paper set beside his teacher. If it's just a formula and it doesn't require magic, maybe he can make that his skill. As though he knows what he's thinking, Minato sensei smiles encouragingly.

"Now I have a few exercises that will let you two hone these potential abilities."

And that's how Kakashi ended up practicing writing Latin and other rune-like words. Rin is attempting to identify magic under their teacher's supervision lest she stumble across a less than innocent fairy. The meticulous care Kakashi is putting into the writing is undermined by the ball-point pen he has to use for the practice. According to Minato sensei, using ink with magical properties will ensure a small mistake is dangerous, and that it's best to be safe when dealing with rogue creatures and unstable magic.

He's so focused on writing the next character in a sequence that he barely notices the soft gasp from Rin. His head snaps up to see what happened, and he almost dismisses it until Minato sensei steps forward. More alert, Kakashi puts the pen down and stands to attention at whatever is worrying his teacher.

Everyone is silent and, to Kakashi, there's nothing out of the ordinary except a faint push of energy. With his difficulty at feeling magic, that must mean whatever's noticeable enough to catch his attention  is strong. Both Minato and Rin are glancing back at each other and they’re seemingly beginning to calm when a sharp yell cuts through the quiet.

Before Kakashi even has a chance to ask what's going on, Minato is gone running towards the source of the sound. Rin and Kakashi look at each other, then after silent agreement they take off after their teacher.

They both reach the edge of the forest close to the shore where all Hell has apparently broken lose.

A large impressive beast towers over their teacher, its powerful figure emanating a threatening presence. It releases a trilling gurgle as its hunched form approaches Minato. Kakashi and Rin freeze in place, unable to do more than watch. When the creature lifts itself onto its haunches, close to lunging, Minato  _ moves _ .

Kakashi can barely keep up with his speed as Minato efficiently downs the beast with a combination of holy water and a weak temporary curse stamped on its chest. The monster growls and pushes against the ancient lettering slowing its movement. Before the creature gets a chance to break out of its bonds, Minato pulls out a short silver knife and stabs it deep into the beast's chest. Its rumbling turns to screeches of pain, but it tires with sluggishness as the combination of magic, holy water, and a dagger shoved into its heart tears its life away.

The body quiets and tilts to the side. It thumps to the ground with a heavy hit and goes almost completely still with the exception of a twitching tail. Once again the land is still. The oppressive fear is slowly but surely fading away. The students are still frozen. Then a soft choking sound breaks everyone out their reverie.

Minato twirls around to reveal behind him a small black haired boy. The kid is probably around his and Rin's age. His clothes, baggy and more similar to blankets than actually clothing, are soaked and dripping with water. The wide-eyed look on his face and short breathing keeps Kakashi from criticizing him further as the boy falls to his knees, eyes watering.

Minato leans down and puts a hand on the young boy's shoulder. The boy's attention snaps up at the blond and he looks ready to full on sob.

"Are you okay?" Minato softly speaks. Expectedly the boy barely answers, eyes drifting towards the monster's corpse. His hands are shaking and he's probably on the verge of a panic attack, if not already in the middle of one. "Hey." The boy looks up again. "It's not going to attack you again. It's gone."

Rin shifts in his peripherals and when Kakashi looks over, he sees her moving towards the boy. She's shaken and obviously still terrified herself, but she sits next to Minato and begins to comfort him as well. "I-I'm sorry that happened, it scared me too..." The boy's eyes sharpen a bit at her voice and he's gaining awareness of his surroundings. "Hey, w-what's your name? Mine's Rin and this is Minato sensei."

Kakashi wants to scold her for trusting this random strange kid. He wants to, but he doesn't when the boy speaks.

"Obito. My name is Obito... It's.. nice to meet you, Rin." A small spark lights the boy's, Obito's, eyes. As though a switch has been flipped, he sits a little straighter and, still shaking, speaks stronger. "Thank you for helping me, Minato." He hesitates. "How did you... know how to stop that... thing?"

Kakashi decides this boy is harmless enough, if the teary eyes and worried demeanor are anything to go by. A lost child most likely, otherwise Minato or Rin would've sensed harmful magic from him. He steps forward, gaining Obito's attention.

"We're hunters. You don't have to be afraid."

And if Kakashi was looking a little closer, maybe he would've seen the way Obito's body tensed with alarm.

But he wasn't looking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, Obito finds out Rin and her friends are hunters. Next chapter I think will be Obito's pov. We're gonna get a look at how he got here and how he plans on dealing with this new problem.
> 
> Personally I don't think I'm too good with keeping in-character dialogue, but at the same time this situation is a little new to all of them, so any ooc-ness might be attributed to that.
> 
> Thanks for reading


	3. Wariness and Worry

Fuck.

_ Shit._

Oh, Kami, why?

Obito can't help but recall the times he's been called useless and idiotic, because_ oh _ if those people could see him now.

He wants to scream.

Only him, he thinks. Only he would fall into a mess like this.

His crush was a _ hunter_. Sweet, nice Rin, who's quiet and smiles at the little fish near the shore. Rin, who, despite her lack of confidence, would try to cheer up the stoic and cold Kakashi. Rin, who spoke to the sea about her younger sister and how she’s _ such a great singer, maybe she’ll be a star one day_.

Rin, who knows exactly what a siren is and probably knows exactly how to kill one.

Just last night, after days of practicing, Obito finally managed a human form (he was so startled that immediately fell on his ass and shifted right back, but _ still _ ). He was so eager to finally know Rin, to finally meet her, that he threw caution to the wind. Oh, did he regret it now. The only possible reason the trio hasn't seen through his illusion is because he's an Uchiha and the one thing going for his bloodline is powerful illusions. But still, _fuck_.

He's glad he had the foresight to collect clothes for his appearance. At first he almost didn't because of them belonging to dead sailors at the bottom of the sea, but now he's terrified what would've happened without them. There's nothing more suspicious than a pretty naked kid standing next to water being almost killed by a bunyip.

He can't even believe he managed to attract one out of the damp caves and bogs they love. He’s heard stories of them killing mermaids due to the perfect mix of human and fish, but he never knew they would _track_ him the moment he left the shore.

And _ oh._ Because suddenly _ that _ makes sense now.

No wonder a young, defenseless human girl spent time in this magic hot spot where _ bunyips _ and _ mermaids _ live. Because she’s training. Because she’s a _ hunter_.

Dammit.

Despite all this, in the back of his mind he realizes these people might not know sirens are close by. His kind aren’t exactly target practice and he’s seen his own cousins drown supposedly the strongest hunters. The knowledge that it could have been _ Mikoto _ or _ Itachi _ finding Rin instead of him is an uneasy feeling.

“Obito?”

He startles and looks back up at those brown orbs. _ Why, Rin? Why a _ hunter _ ? _

She smiles, unaware of his panic. “I was just asking if you wanted a change of clothes. We have some back at the cabin.”

He… doesn’t know what to do. Technically, this is exactly what he wanted and none of them realize he’s not a human. But… 

He glances past the trees where he knows the shore lays. He suddenly feels dry and icky. Everything sticks to him and he’s tired from leaving the water so soon. More than anything he wants to be _ home _. And yet..

Obito weakly grins back, trying to pull himself into a standing position. Minato rushes to help him up and he resists the urge to flinch. He saw how efficient and vicious that man was with the monster. He tries to put images of tangled nets and silver knives out of his head.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

* * *

As he walks with the group, he can’t believe he never noticed their.. Hobby. The way Rin is careful in avoiding concentrations of magic and weak charms guarding the forestry. The way Kakashi watches the ground and the trees and Obito with the eye of someone who’s wary of the unusual. Minato is the best at hiding his reactions and still he seems to let his gaze linger on out of place creatures and beings.

_ Like me _.

Obito frowns as he rewinds the past conversation over in his head. Now that he thinks about it…

“What’s your name?”

They all pause in their walk and face the presumed-traumatized boy (despite his bitterness at that assumption, he probably will have nightmares for weeks). “What?” Minato questions.

“Ah,” He doesn’t like their attention as much as he thought he would. “The boy.” He vaguely waves towards Kakashi. He thinks it would be odd if he tried to play it off like he heard someone else call him Kakashi (though that wouldn’t be a lie).

Kakashi gives him a cold look that might not be intentional? “It’s Hatake Kakashi.” For the first time, Obito notices the mask covering the kid’s face. Is that a human thing? A hunter thing? Perhaps he’s obvious, because Kakashi states, “I wear this for my hunting career and for practice. In town, I go without it.”

Is that supposed to make sense? “But, why?”

“You ask a lot of questions for someone who could barely say a word earlier.” Obito swears he’s smiling under that dumb thing.

“I thought I was gonna die!” And he did. Siren or not, killing bunyips isn’t something anyone can do, especially not a child.

“Oh? What did you _think_ was going to happen in the Forest of _ Death_?” Oh this asshole is taunting him. Just like his clan. And also ‘Forest of Death’? There’s _ no way _ it’s called that.

“How was I supposed to know, _ bakashi _? It’s not like I knew 'death' meant huge deadly swamp creatures!” He’s flushing, which should be embarrassing to a being of seduction and beauty, but he can’t find it in himself to care. Not like he ever did.

Minato cuts in, a bit startled at the sudden argument, “Now, now. Calm down. Kakashi, Obito isn’t training to be a hunter like you, and, even if he was, those creatures frighten even me.” Obito puffs up at the way Kakashi’s annoyance turns into indigance, but before he can gloat, Minato turns his deceptively light gaze to him. “And Obito, to be fair, this _ is _ the Forest of Death and while _ we _ train here sometimes, random civilians should avoid getting lost out here. Understand?”

Obito swallows. “Yes, sir.”

“Kakashi?”

A mumbled ‘yes, sir’ is spoken.

It’s quiet for a moment. Then they start walking again. This time a bit faster to ignore the awkward atmosphere that is now surrounding them.

Finally, they reach the cabin. Obito, despite the seriousness of being sandwiched between three dangerous hunters, lights up at the odd structure. It’s so different. Some marine creatures have built structures underwater, of course, but this is so obviously a human building. It’s made out of trees and it’s built on top of the ground instead of into rock and sea floor. It’s completely visible too, with no pockets of darkness surrounding it, the light covering the cabin's whole profile.

This is a _ human _ house. _ Awesome_.

He’s pushed forward and he throws a glare down at Kakashi who’s indicating for him to go inside. He follows Minato and Rin who both go in through an opened door. Squashing down worry that’s burning in his stomach, he stumbles over the stairs (they throw off his balance considering he just got legs) and carefully carries himself into the building.

There’s a bunch of wood and plush stuff. For once he has no reference on any of these things, so he resorts to standing there like an idiot.

“Are you just going to stand there like an idiot?” Why this silver haired _j__erk_— Rin’s speaks up, discreetly shutting that potential fight down.

“Obito, you can sit over here while sensei gets you some clothes.” She’s patting a cushion on the giant maroon plush-thing, so Obito assumes that’s where he has to sit.

He’s so slow in his movement, not risking any falling, that once he makes it there he almost cheers. Almost. If they don’t realize he’s a merman, they’ll definitely think he’s weird.

Rin talks once more, softly as though not to disturb him. “Why were you out there in these drenched blankets?” She says it like a joke, so he chuckles, but oh lord, the panic is back.

Why was he out there? Good question. What was he doing all alone in the apparent Forest of Death? What do humans even do? Rin looks at novels, but he doesn’t know if that’s normal or if it’s just a Rin thing. He knows they sing and mate, but beyond that all he’s ever heard are stories of merfolk killing humans and humans killing merfolk. Oh, geez, they’re looking at him, but he doesn’t have an answer and if he doesn’t answer, they’ll realize something’s wrong and he might die, and he never even learned how to _ sing _ like the other sirens—

“Obito?”

He looks up.

There’s Minato. His face is doing something weird and in his hands are fabrics Obito can only assume are clothes.

“Are you okay?”

Oh. He’s worried. That’s… nice. The last time someone looked like that was right before his grandmother died.

“Here.” A small and clearly unwearable cloth is now shoved in his hand. Unsure of its purpose, he sends a questioning glance to Minato and the man waves a hand at his own face. “For your.. Well, you’re starting to tear up.”

Oh, yeah. That makes sense. Underwater, people don’t notice as long as you keep a straight face, but that tactic won’t work here.

Wiping his eyes, he says. “I was just swimming. That’s all.” Instead of suspicion there’s concern, and Obito doesn’t know where that comes from, but it’s better than fishing nets and harpoons so he’ll take it.

Minato’s smile is warmand Obito has so many fuzzy feelings from getting this much acknowledgement and safety in one day. “Change into these clothes. It’s a mix of Rin and Kakashi’s wardrobe, so tell me if anything doesn’t fit. The guest room is over there.” While in other situations, Obito would have dodged the slight push, in this case it helps him realize that he should change in said room, not here.

After figuring out how to maneuver the many holes and intricacies of the clothing based on his references of the hunters outside, the dead sailors he looted, and the convenient pictures of humans smiling in various types of dress, he looks fairly human. Still, he doesn’t leave the room just yet.

This time he picks up one of the previously mentioned pictures. It’s Rin and the other two smiling from the view of a bench. They look so happy. A small animal, like a dog (actually maybe it is a dog), is sitting beside Kakashi. Despite the boy’s stony expression, Obito can’t ignore the way he’s hugging the creature and offering comfort Kakashi never once provided to anyone today.

It would be sweet if the boy was less antagonizing.

Setting the photo down, Obito takes a deep breath and looks at the closed door.

It’s time to face the music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I wrote this the day after I wrote the second chapter which was the day after the first. I have no clue why, but I don't trust my motivation so I'm gonna publish the fourth chapter a little later, just in case this sudden flame I have dies out like it inevitably will.
> 
> So yeah, Obito's pov. Obviously he's extremely thrown by this new situation, but even though he keeps acting like he's gonna leave, he knows he wants to stay. The rest of the team simply wouldn't work without him. I think I was better with Obito's overall tone of voice unlike last time, mainly because he got a chance to behave in a normal bickering session with Kakashi. At this point, the team dynamics are going to be established and we'll get to see how he's adopted into this odd group.
> 
> Also, don't think hunters are a well-known thing in this world. They're not, but after Obito's easy acceptance of the monster attack and their status as hunters, they'll be coming up with some theories for his origins next chapter.
> 
> Stay tuned.


	4. Half-Breeds and Hunters

Minato knew the boy was… different.

There were a couple reasons he knew this.

The first, most obvious really, was the bunyip attacking. The swamp monsters are rarely caught leaving safe shelter. The only time one can be found far from a bog or damp cave is when it’s searching for food or a mate. Even then, both of those things have to be quite special to attract a demon’s attention.

And yet the only thing the demon did was attack Obito. Obito, an apparent young child lost in the Forest of Death.

This was all concerning in many ways, but Minato wasn’t sure he quite understood.

Yes, the kid was alone in a forest brimming with magic. Yes, the kid barely batted an eye at the idea that monsters like a huge demon can exist. Despite all this, Minato sensed  _ nothing _ from the child. There was no power hidden under a human guise and there wasn’t the pull that magic creatures seemed to command over humans. There was just Obito.

And while Minato would usually still keep to the red flags, Obito seemed nice. Not in a forced way. Not like he was hiding something. Just… nice. And Minato’s been around enough malevolent monsters and trickery to recognize the inhuman ticks that scream danger or viciousness.

There’s none of that.

When Obito comes out of the room, done from changing, Rin and Kakashi immediately perk up, though admittedly in very different ways.

Out of the rags and torn cloth, the boy looks clean. A baggy hoodie, loose sweatpants, and shoes would do that. He’s dryer, too, after walking a bit. Minato can’t help but distantly note that the kid’s hair is just naturally spiky. This image of normality does nothing to curb his thoughts that Obito isn’t threatening.

Rin speaks, “Are you doing better now? I know this all must have been sudden.”   
  
Obito seems uncomfortable with his body, as though he’s full of nerves, but his voice is confident. “I’m okay. I was just startled. But if something like that shows up again, I’ll be ready!”

He’s probably too confident, Minato notes. As though thinking the same thing, Kakashi scoffs. “You think can fight a demon like that? You could barely move at the sight of it.”

It appears as though Obito plans on retorting right before he pauses. “Demon? It looked monstrous but I don’t know about demonic.” There was some actual curiosity in his eyes, and the teacher in Minato leaped at that sight.

“Well, demon is just another word for malevolent magic creatures. While it can refer to a dangerous being of a specific religion, hunters tend to avoid using religion as a reference for magic.” Obito almost more confused.

“Malevolent? Like, bad?” That’s right, Obito’s never learned anything about magic. Maybe he wasn’t surprised that monsters exist or that hunters dealt with real threats, but none of that means he’s ever been taught. It could just mean he knew a hunter or he has magic origins or even both...

Minato’s eyes widen slightly. He quickly goes back to answering Obito to avoid suspicion. “Ah, magic can be divided into a few categories.” Realizing he’s actually beginning to lecture, Minato sits on the couch and, after a moment of hesitation, Obito does the same.

“There’s benevolent, neutral, mischievous, and malevolent creatures. We try to classify all magic based on this scale. Benevolent means anything that goes out of its way to help people; malevolent means anything that goes out of its way to harm people; mischievous is magic that interacts with people and may harm or help; neutral is anything that avoids or does not care about humans.” 

Obito nods, slowly. It’s clear the words don’t mean much to him. Rin seems to see it too and grabs the boy’s attention, “Basically, there’s helpful magic, harmful magic, magic that can be both, or magic that ignores people altogether.”   
  


Minato almost frowns at the way Obito’s eyes light up with understanding at her words.  _ But I said the same thing _ . He shakes the thought away as he thinks back to his realization earlier. It’s a stretch of course, but it makes perfect sense.

Half-breeds. Half-human, half-magic. The most common result of these rare couplings are humans with magic, almost completely unnoticeable unless actively used. The only real way of tracking half-breeds is by scent and other physical tells. Which means it’s not out of the question for a large beast to track the scent of this type of unusual prey.

And when Minato thinks back, Obito was uncomfortable with Kakashi mentioning that they were hunters. While hunters aren’t allowed to interact with magic unless it’s currently threatening humans, half-breeds are a loophole that some people take advantage of.

On top of that, it’s not unusual that half-breeds become orphans. No matter if they’re raised by humans or non-humans, they can end up being abandoned for needing such specific care or for being the black sheep. A half-breed ending up alone in a forest isn’t so odd.

While he would keep his mouth shut about it in political meetings with Konoha hunters, Minato was willing to admit it seems wrong to hurt half-breeds. It was in their biology to be human and to act like they’re nothing more than another magic creature… It’s disconcerting.

Minato claps his hands, gaining everyone’s attention. He smiles and says, “Alright! While this was all interesting, you two still have your training to do.” Rin sighs only somewhat dramatically and Kakashi stands at attention like a little soldier. Obito looks confused and uneasy with himself, so Minato helps him out by saying, “And if you’d like Obito, you can watch them spar.”

This catches the boy’s attention immediately.

“Spar? Like a fight?” He speaks excitedly.

“Yeah, it might be more fun to have someone watch anyways.” Kakashi’s dull look says ‘no, no it won’t.’

Outside, as Kakashi and Rin prepare for their practice spar , Minato finds a seat next to the once again tense Obito. The boy glances up sharply before turning his eyes towards the ground.

Minato carefully lays a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He startles slightly, looking back up. 

“I know you’re worried around us hunters.” When he feels Obito frame stiffening, he quickly backtracks. “But that’s okay. Look, there’s probably a reason you were alone out there, but I won’t blame you for it.” There’s some confusion now, but less fear. Good.

It’s quiet for a beat, until, “Are you sure you wouldn’t blame me?” And he sounds so nervous and childlike. Minato just wants to hug him. But he can’t. So he settles for words. Dangerous words to set out in the open, but helpful words to a self-conscious kid.

“I thinks half-breeds are as human as we are.” Obito looks at him, silent, slowly comprehending. Then the tears come once more. The boy wipes them away and smiles, awkward and small, but bright nonetheless. At first there’s a look of uncertainty that can be attributed to his distrust of hunters, but then wary acceptance of the teacher’s words.

“Okay.”

The moment is interrupted by an annoyed “Minato sensei!” and once again training is on. This time with one new member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty. Here it is. Minato's pov feels a bit eh to me, but I do like the chance of hinting at this hunter society, something Obito's going to be learning more about soon. Hunters in this world are kind of like exorcists in ours. Like they exist, but most people think of them as just frauds or oddities. Hunters like it that way. The less people running out to find angry vampires, the better.
> 
> I didn't give much of a look at Kakashi and Rin, but I'm thinking about letting Obito talk to Rin in the next chapter. While no, there won't be ObiRin (yes, the endgame is ObiKaka, promise), I want them to be best friends. She has so much potential as a character that was originally just a plot-device in the anime and I really want to nail down a personality for her. She deserves it.
> 
> Minato's a bit comfortable about bending some rules as a hunter, yes, but I still want him to say some things that imply his status as a hunter. Slight things like 'you're a human to me' hinting that being an honorary human is better than being a magic being. 
> 
> Also, I feel like I sped things up too much, but I was really struggling with Minato's thinking process, so I settled for this.
> 
> Well I think that's all I want to say. I hope you enjoyed!


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